Door stop



G. BANSE June 30, 1970 Doon s'ToP Filed April 12, 1968 v l Hl United States Patent O,

3,517,408 DOOR STOP George Banse, Sterling, Ill., assignor to National Manufacturing Co., Sterling, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 12, 1968, Ser. No. 720,829 Int. Cl. E05f 1/08 U.S. Cl. 16-72 11 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE One end of a helical extension spring is fastened near the top of the side jamb on the hinged side of the door and the other end of the spring engages the center portion of a nylon cord, one end of the nylon cord being attached to the door rail at the top of the door and the other end of the nylon cord being fastened to the head jamb of the doorway. As the door is opened, the nylon cord is straightened and pulls the helical spring, which spring stretches to permit the cord to become straight. The door is stopped when it has been opened so far that the cord is straight.

This invention relates to door stops and more particularly relates to door stops that include a flexible binding connecting the door and the door jamb to limit the extent to Iwhich the door can be opened.

One type of door stop that is now widely used includes a helical extension spring and a flexible binding. One end of the helical spring is fastened near the top of the side jamb on the hinged side of the door by means of a screw hook. The other end of the helical spring engages a center portion of the binding. One end of the binding is fastened to the door rail at the top of the door and the other end of the binding is fastened to the head jamb.

The ends of the binding are located and fastened so that the helical spring is under a slight tension when the door is closed. As the door is opened and the distance between the ends of the binding is increased, the binding becomes straighter and pulls the helical spring, increasing its length until the binding is straight and the door cannot open further.

A chain is used as the binding in some of the door stops of this type. However, this type of door stop has several disadvantages when a chain is used as the binding.

One disadvantage of this type of door stop when a chain is used as the binding is that unequal forces of tension are applied to the two ends of the chain unless the spring is fastened exactly at `the center of the chain and the ends of the chain are the same distance from the axis of rotation of the door. Generally, these conditions are not met by the layman installing the door stop. If they are not met, the differing tensions applied to the fasteners that hold the ends of the chain cause one end to wear to a greater extent than the other, and perhaps to pull loose.

Another disadvantage of this type of door stop when a chain is used as the binding is that the door is stopped suddenly by the chain causing shock on the fasteners holding the ends of the chain. This shock is especially harmful where there is more ltension on one fastener than the other because the spring is not attached exactly to the center of the chain or the fasteners are not positioned the sarne distance from the axis of rotation of the door. This shock on the fasteners for the ends of the chain causes them to be pulled loose sooner then than if there were no shock.

Still another disadvantage of this type of door stop when a chain is used as the binding is that it is diicult to install unless the chain is of the correct length. To install the door stop correctly, the hook is fastened to the center of the chain and lthe chain is of the correct Ice length so that, Iwhen it is fully extended, the door is opened to the desired maximum limit. If the chain is not ofthe correct length for the desired maximum opening, it must be shortened. It is difficult to shorten a chain and this increases the difficulty in installing the door stop in a substantial number of situations.

Still other disadvantages of this type of door stop when a chain is used as the binding are that the chain tends to rattle and eventually rust. This causes the door stop to be noisy in operation and unsightly.

Accordingly, it is an object of this invention to provide an improved door stop.

It is a further object of this invention to provide a door stop which is easily installed.

It is a still further object of this invention to provide a door stop which is durable, inexpensive and does not become unsightly with use.

In accordance with the above and further objects of the invention, a door stop is provided having a helical extension spring, a nylon cord, two fasteners, and a screw hook. One end of the helical spring is attached by means of the screw hook near the top of the side jamb that is on the hinged side of the door. The other end of the spring is held by the nylon cord which is threaded through a loop on the end of the spring. The nylon cord is held by the fasteners at its two ends, with one end being attached to the head jamb by one fastener and with the other end being attached to the door rail at the top of the door by the other fastener. Both fasteners are an equal distance from the axis of rotation of the door.

The spring is held slightly in tension while the door is closed. As the door is opened, the extension spring is stretched. If the spring is not accurately centered on the nylon cord or if the fasteners holding the ends of the nylon cord are not the same distance from the axis of rotation of the door, the nylon cord slides within the end of the spring to maintain equal tensions on the two portions of the nylon cord. When the door is fully opened, it is stopped by the nylon cord. The nylon cord stretches slightly at this time to cushion the impact on stopping the door. This stretching softens the shock that is imparted to the fasteners that hold the ends of the nylon cord.

The nylon cord is silent as the door opens. Moreover, it does not become unsightly due to weathering. It may be installed easily since it does not have to be accurately centered and the fasteners do not have to be located exactly the same distance from the axis of rotation of the door. If the cord is too long, it may be cut and the end seared over a llame to seal it and prevent unraveling of its end.

The invention and the above noted and other features thereof will be understood more completely from the following detailed description when considered in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. l is a fragmentary elevational view of a door and door jamb, showing a door stop that is an embodiment of the invention attached thereto;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the top of a door and a door jamb showing the embodiment of FIG. 1 when the door is partially opened;

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of a fastener, the screws that cooperate therewith, and a section of nylon cord used in an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is a longitudinal sectional view through a fastener; and

FIG. 5 is a bottom view of a fastener used in an embodiment of the invention.

STRUCTURE OF THE DOOR STOP In FIG. 1 an elevational view of a door stop 14, which is an embodiment of the invention, is shown mounted to a screen door in a doorway 12 shown in a fragmentary elevational view. The screen door 10 includes a screen 16, a door rail 18 forming the top portion of the door and a stile 20 adapted to have the door hinges (not shown) attached thereto. The doorway includes a side jamb 22 on the hinged side of the door 10, and a head jamb 24.

The door stop 14 includes a screw hook 26 screwed into the side jamb 22 near its uppermost portion and a helical extension spring 28 having a loop 30 at one of its ends in engagement with the hook of the hook screw 26.

A nylon cord 32 is passed through a loop 34 at the other end of the helical extension spring 28. The nylon cord 32 has one of its ends 36 fastened to the head jamb 24 of the doorway 12V by means of a nylon fastener 38 and has its other end 40 fastened to the top door rail 18 of the screen door 10 by means of the nylon fastener 42. The nylon fasteners 38 and 42 are held to the head jamb 24 and door rail 18 respectively by screws screwed therethrough and are located to hold the nylon cord 32 with suicient tension to slightly stretch the extension spring 28 while the door is closed. For most doors, the nylon fastener 38 is attached to the head jamb 24 at a location 14 inches from the side jamb 22 and the same distance from the edge of the door jamb as the screw hook and the nylon fastener 42 is attached to the top rail 18 of the door 10 at a location 14 inches from the hinged side of the door and 11/2 inches from the top edge of the door.

An exploded perspective view of the fastener 38 is shown in FIG. 3. This fastener is identical to the fastener 42.

As best shown in FIG. 3, the fastener 38 comprises a regular parallelepiped with a bottom slot 46 extending longitudinally from the back end 48 of the fastener to the front end 50 of the fastener, and having a cylindrically enlarged portion 54 located near the center of its length. At the back end 48 of the fastener the slot 46 includes a rectangularly shaped portion 56; at the front end 50 of the fastener, the slot 46 extends through the front, top and bottom edges of the fastener. The fastener includes an arcuate entrance 52 communicating with the slot 46 at the front end 50 of the fastener. Two supporting wing portions 58 and 60 (FIG. 5) extend from the bottom of the fastener, each including a respective one of the two cylindrical apertures 62 and 64. As best shown in FIG. 5, the enlarged cylindrical portion 54 of the bottom slot 46 includes a center cylindrical aperture 66 extending through the fastener from its top to its bottom slot.

As best shown by FIG. 4, the nylon cord 36 is inserted into the longitudinal slot 46 through the arcuate entrance 52 with its outer end within the rectilinear compartment 56. A center screw 68 is threaded through the center aperture '66 and through the nylon cord 32 within the enlarged cylindrical portion 54 to hold it thereto. The screw l68 is threaded into the head jamb to hold the fastener 38 in place and two side screws 70 and 72 pass through the side cylindrical holes 62 and 64 in the Wing portions 58 and 60 respectively, being screwed into the head jamb 24 to better secure the fastener 38 thereto. The fastener 42 is similarly fastened to the top door rail 18.

INSTALLATION To install the door stop, the screw hook 26 is screwed into the side jamb 22 near the head jamb 24 on the hinged side of the door 10. The nylon cord 32 is threaded through an end loop 34 of the extension spring 28 and the ends 36 and 40 of the nylon cord 32 are inserted into the slots of the fasteners 38 and 40. The threaded end of the round headed screw 68 is inserted through the central aperture 66 of the fastener 38 into the cylindrical portion 54 of the slot 46 and screwed through the end 36 of the nylon 4 cord 28 until it protrudes Ms of an inch therefrom. Another round headed screw is screwed through the central aperture of the other fastener 42 until it protrudes 1/s of an inch through the end 40 of the cord 32.

yOne %2 inch pilot hole is drilled into the top door rail 18 of the door 10 at a location 14 inches from the hinged side and 1% inches from the edge of the door top. Another 3/32 inch pilot hole is drilled into the head jamb 24 14 inches from the side jamb and the same distance from the edge of the head jamb as the hook screw is from the edge of the side jamb.

The fasteners 38 and 42 with the ends 36 and 40 respectively of the nylon cord 32 still inserted in them are mounted to the door rail 18 and the head jamb 24 respectively by means of the screws through the central apertures, which central screws are screwed into the pilot holes to hold the ends 36 and y40 of the cord 32 and the nylon fasteners 38 and 42 in place. Two screws (70 and 68 shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 for the fastener 38) are then threaded through the side apertures (62 and 64 for fastener 38) of each of the fasteners to hold them in place. After the fasteners 38 and 42 are secured in place, the spring 28 is slightly in tension when the door is closed as shown in FIG. 1. The ends of the cord 36 and 40 extend through the entrances (52 for the fastener 38) through the tops of the fasteners and are held in the slot of the fasteners by the central screws.

The length of the nylon cord 32 determines the maximum distance that the door may be opened. If a shorter length of cord is desired, the cord may be cut to the desirable length and the ends prevented from unraveling by heating them with a small ame to cause the nylon to fuse together at the cut end of the cord.

OPERATION When the door is closed, the extension spring 28 is slightly stretched by the nylon cord 32. The tension from the spring is imparted to the cord and holds the cord in place while the door is in the closed position.

As the door is opened, the ends 36 and 40 of the cord 32 are stretched apart so that the cord begins to assume the shape of a straight line between the door jamb and the door. As the ends of the cord 32 are stretched apart, the spring 28 is stretched and increases the tension on the cord. If the fasteners are not exactly the same distance from the axis of rotation of the door while it is opening, the portions of the cord on the opposite sides of the loop 34 of the spring 28 are at first at different angles with respect to the spring and therefore assume a different tension. However, the difference in the tension and the angles causes the loop 34 to slide and become properly centered so that the tension on the two sides of the cord 32 becomes equal. This prevents an excessive strain being placed on either one of the fasteners 38 or 42.

When the door has reached its maximum open length, the cord 32 is straight. As the door moves into its final maximum open position, the cord 32 is stretched slightly, cushioning the shock of stopping. By cushioning the shock of stopping, the impact force upon the fasteners 38 and 42 is reduced, and for that reason, does not cause the screws to be loosened as readily as would be the case if a rigid chain were used instead of the nylon cord 32.

Besides equalizing the tension on the fasteners during the opening of the door and reducing shock on the fasteners when the door is stopped ih its open position, the door stop of this invention is also attractive and durable. The nylon cord does not rust with weathering and perserves its appearance over a long period of time. Moreover the ((loor stop is inexpensive and easy to assemble to the oor.

Although an embodiment of the invention has been described with a certain degree of particularity, many modifications and variations are possible in light of the above teachings.`

What is claimed is:

1. A door stop comprising:

a flexible binding adapted to be connected at one point along its length to a door and at another point along its length to the frame of a doorway so as to limit the extent to which the door may be opened and resilient means for attaching the flexible binding to the frame of the doorway at another point along the length of the flexible binding;

said resilient means including a connecting means for slidably holding said flexible binding.

2. A door stop in accordance with claim 1 in which said flexible binding is a stretchable low friction cord.

3. A door stop in accordance with claim 1 in which said resilient means is a spring and said flexible binding is a nylon cord.

4. A door stop in accordance with claim 2 in which said resilient means is an extension spring having one end adapted to be attached to the door frame and in which the other end includes said connecting Imeans for slidably engaging the nylon cord.

5. A door stop according to claim 2 in which said low-friction cord is a nylon cord and said connecting means includes a loop of said extension spring through which loop said nylon cord passes.

6. A door stop `according to claim 5 further including a first nylon fastener connected to one end of the nylon cord and to the head jamb of the doorway and a second nylon fastener connected to the other end of the nylon cord and to the top rail of the door.

7. A door stop according to claim 6 further including two centrally located screws connecting respective ones of the two ends of the nylon cord to their cor responding fasteners and being screwed through the nylon fasteners, the cord and the structure supporting the fasteners on the head jamb and top rail.

8. A door stop according to claim 7 further including four side screws, two of which hold each of the fasteners to the supporting structure.

9. A door stop according to claim 8 further including a screw hook for holding the first end of the exten sion spring to the side jamb of the doorway frame.

10. The combination of a door stop according to claim 9 with a door and doorway frame in which:

the screw hook is screwed into a side jamb of the the doorway frame; said extension spring is a helical spring having a first end loop and a second end loop; the first loop of said helical extension spring encrcles the hook of said threaded hook and the second loop encircles said nylon cord at its center portion; said combination further including a first wood screw threaded through said first-mentioned nylon fastener, said one end of saidI nylon cord and said head jam'b, and a second wood screw threaded through said second-mentioned nylon fastener, said other end of said nylon cord, and said top rail of said door. 11. The combination of a door stop according to claim 3 with a door having a top rail vand a doorway frame having a head jamb and a side jamb in which:

one end of said nylon cord is firmly attached to the head jamb and the other end is firmlyI attached t0 the top rail of the door; said resilient means is an extension spring connected at one end to the s ide jamb of the doorway frame and slidably connected at the other Vend to a central portion of the nylon cord; and said nylon cord and'extension spring being of such a length that the nylon cord is held tautly while the spring is not extended and the door is closed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,804,385 5/1931 Ferrin 16-72 X 2,673,760 3/1954 Hawks 16-85 X 2,769,213 ll/1956 Stetson 16--72 X 2,946,082 7/ 1960 Poupitch.

3,096,529 7/ 1963 Thompson.

CASMIR A. NUNBERG, Primary Examiner 

